Tuesday, November 02, 2004

That's the Chicago Way

My 3-year-old daughter proved today that she has a wonderfully engaged civic future ahead of her.

Or a lifetime of rampant political corruption.

We had traveled to our polling place this morning to cast our ballot and remove the swing-state shackles of direct mail and recorded phone calls that had imprisoned us for the last two months. Inside the booth, I made my choices. I directed my daughter to press the orange button, the one which would record my vote. The machine made its happy voting noise, we stepped through the curtain, and I told her, "We did it! We voted! Way to go!" High-fives and happiness all around.

Then, she piped up with a very familiar word, the one she uses whenever she does something she really likes.

"Again."

"Well, sweetheart, next year. We'll come back next year and vote."

"No, I want to vote again! Again!"

I'll have to do some genealogy research to see if we're related to the Daleys of Chicago.

4 Comments:

This was the first time I let my 7 year old hit all the levers (I usually just let him open and close the curtain - another lever in Jersey). He came out of the booth yelling, "I voted, I voted!" Thank God there weren't any "poll watchers" present. BTW, he didn't need to be told who to select. That's my boy.

I believe that's also the Philadelphia way! I'm glad that my granddaughter is starting her political education early, now Grandpop and I must make sure that we spend enough time with her so she is properly indoctrinated by the time she's 18. Mom

Now, now, Ma. There's no political corruption in Philadelphia! John Street and Lynne Abraham said those allegations of added votes to some machines are hogwash. I have to believe them, because they have such credibility.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Either way, I hope it is decided tonight, and not a week later like last time. Whomever loses, be gracious about it and accept it right away.